First to Sam: Cavan or Monaghan

[Itchy]

Feckit - maybe you should encourage the 45% of people to play instead of ruling them out.

Don't know where Cavan's moral high ground on this issue stems from.

Whatever about Monaghan's progressive inclusive nature I'd say if a Protestant tried to join the Cavan panel Gearoid McKiernan wouldn't be long putting him in his place.

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-30932364

I was once playing a match and a lad gave me an ojus box in the jaw. When I got up I got in his face and said something along the lines of "I'm going to kill you, you cnuts baxtard". Later I apologised for saying he was the illegitimate child of a vagina, it was the first thing that popped into my mind you see.

[charlie linkbox]

"Heat of battle" is a lovely phrase to explain away any behaviour. "Freudian slip betraying a held prejudice" is another nice phrase.

I'll delete nothing. You jump all over my comment with your righteous indignation yet choose to ignore the insinuations in the comment below without knowing the circumstances of the young lad involved.

The only negative is that failed drugs test of the Monaghan panelist last year which still doesn't sit well with me and puts a slight seed of doubt at to whether it was encouraged for prospective panelists to bulk up by whatever means necessary. We will never know though.

Where's your call for that to be deleted?

[Throw ball]

I reckon Armagh would probably just have 100k who might be amenable to the GAA alright.

What are the GAA populations of the occupied counties ?

The total population of County Armagh is 174,000.  It is made up of 3 different areas, Armagh City & District Council area which is about 50% Catholic, most of Craigavon Council area which would be about 40% Catholic, and the South Armagh portion of Newry Council which is about 85% Catholic. 
The South Armagh area is the least populated part as there are no major towns. 

As a guess I would estimate that the Catholic percentage for the county as a whole is approx 55%, which would leave the population in GAA terms more similar to Laois, Offaly and Westmeath.

The Craigavon area would be the most populous area of the county but it has particular problems which in the past did not lend itself to improved GAA activities. As said the majority of the people would be of unionist persuasion with a fair amount very anti GAA. Add to that there is a big soccer tradition in the area. For many years playing Gaelic was a dangerous pastime in the area. In 2002 the Armagh team that won the All Ireland had 3 players from that area who featured on the day. Mullaghbawn, a small rural club in South Armagh, had 4 players, or former players, who featured. Work is going on in clubs to change this. Clann Eireann in particular are making great strides. However, it will be a number of years before this work bears fruit.

[Old yeller]

There are protestants on the Cavan team too, none of them give a shite what Gearoid said.

How many protestants are on the cavan team? I cant think of any.

[Il Bomber Destro]

Due to demographic reasons the likes of Derry and Armagh wouldn't have massive GAA picks.

I believe the last player to play from Derry City for Derry is Martin McGuinness brother back in the 70s/80s. The city which probably has a population of circa 100k, heavily nationalist is soccer mad and the GAA has a minimal presence there, then you have the fact that a lot of areas in North Derry is heavily unionist - particularly round the Coleraine/Portrush/Limavady regions which have sizeable populations. I think Derry do really well for the numbers available to them when you take the unionist population and Derry City out of the equation.

Armagh as already commented on have a similar problem. Realistically to compare counties like Derry and Armagh to southern counterparts you'd probably be looking at mainly rural counties with populations of 70-80k. Down probably in and around the same bracket, mainly concentrated round the south and middle of Down and in the more rural, less populated areas. Tyrone would definitely fair the best in terms of playing numbers in the O6, it's majority Catholic, mainly rural county where there are a fair few clubs from strong nationalist communities across the county and no big cities or spanning urban areas where soccer dominates. Tyrone would probably be the equivalent to a county down south with a 100k population. On the balance of it, the Ulster counties fair an awful lot better with what they've got than their southern counterparts, Fermanagh being the prime examples of that, smallest playing numbers in the Championship yet well able to mix it at the top table.

[Main Street]

Feckit - maybe you should encourage the 45% of people to play instead of ruling them out.

Don't know where Cavan's moral high ground on this issue stems from.

Whatever about Monaghan's progressive inclusive nature I'd say if a Protestant tried to join the Cavan panel Gearoid McKiernan wouldn't be long putting him in his place.

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-30932364

I think that is an outrageous slur to make against Gearoid McKiernan.  He made a sectarian comment in the heat of battle, I like most people agree that the ban should have been longer, but it is a hell of a leap to make that he would be opposed to Protestants in general.  I think you should delete your post.

It's an incident not worth repeating and Gearoid should be given the benefit of doubt that he has learned his lesson and matured in the meantime.
And there was an idiot from Magheracloone who also threw sectarian abuse against one of the Wylies in a  Monaghan club game.

[GrandMasterFlash]

Totally agree Main Street, the issue has been dealt with and is not worth repeating.

Back to the subject, it's hard to know who'd have a better chance of winning Sam. Both would have limited enough options compared to the bigger counties. Cavan have a good spread of players, from about 20 clubs, which is good going. Monaghan have been going well in the past few years, which is great..

Serious rivalry between the counties, which is healthy for the most part.. Probably the oldest rivalry in Ulster..

An Ulster Final meeting would be some craic, never mind Sam!

[armaghniac]

The population of Drum village is about 48, so no, it doesn't have a GAA club. Anyone in the outlying area interested in playing Gaelic Games would play for either Currin (to the west) or Killeevan (to the north). Irrespective of their religious persuasion they daren't head about a mile south, to Cavan, as that would be the work of the infidel.

Well it has 4 churches, so perhaps there are more available on a Sunday. Apparently the Free Presbyterian pastor is a hurling snob, so perhaps the big wouldn't suit. I agree about the dangers of going towards Cavan though, they may have got the rear end of the Ulster plantation, but they escaped an even worse fate by not going the extra mile.

[Jinxy]

Whatever about Monaghan, the last thing the GAA needs is a resurgent Cavan.
Ignorant shower.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__FpOhlzV7I

[Niall8100]

And there was an idiot from Magheracloone who also threw sectarian abuse against one of the Wylies in a  Monaghan club game.

Wasn't the whole reason for Magheracloone refusing to play games at any level because they were absolutely adamant that the player didn't say anything remotely sectarian? They won their appeal to the ulster council against a ban because there was no proof of any abuse.

Anyway back to the topic, Monaghan's best chance for an all-Ireland was probably last year to be honest. If they can actually put some good performances together in Croke Park you never know but they'd need a good bit of luck. Cavan are definitely going in the right direction but they're still a few years off yet.

[Main Street]

And there was an idiot from Magheracloone who also threw sectarian abuse against one of the Wylies in a  Monaghan club game.

Wasn't the whole reason for Magheracloone refusing to play games at any level because they were absolutely adamant that the player didn't say anything remotely sectarian? They won their appeal to the ulster council against a ban because there was no proof of any abuse.

Anyway back to the topic, Monaghan's best chance for an all-Ireland was probably last year to be honest. If they can actually put some good performances together in Croke Park you never know but they'd need a good bit of luck. Cavan are definitely going in the right direction but they're still a few years off yet.

I take your point and accept it, but I personally chose to believe the Ballybay men who I know would not make up serious stuff like that. But I was not there in person to hear it for myself.
When there is not enough supporting independent evidence, then it is a one person's word against another and that is not enough for a punishment. The punishment btw, is a mere one game ban for the offender.

[J70]

And there was an idiot from Magheracloone who also threw sectarian abuse against one of the Wylies in a  Monaghan club game.

Wasn't the whole reason for Magheracloone refusing to play games at any level because they were absolutely adamant that the player didn't say anything remotely sectarian? They won their appeal to the ulster council against a ban because there was no proof of any abuse.

Seems to be par for the course for the GAA.

An allegation is made, whether racial/sectarian/fill-in-blank verbal abuse/biting etc. Accused team circle the wagons, adamant nothing happened. Definitive proof either way can't be produced. GAA washes their hands of it.

[Niall8100]

And there was an idiot from Magheracloone who also threw sectarian abuse against one of the Wylies in a  Monaghan club game.

Wasn't the whole reason for Magheracloone refusing to play games at any level because they were absolutely adamant that the player didn't say anything remotely sectarian? They won their appeal to the ulster council against a ban because there was no proof of any abuse.

Anyway back to the topic, Monaghan's best chance for an all-Ireland was probably last year to be honest. If they can actually put some good performances together in Croke Park you never know but they'd need a good bit of luck. Cavan are definitely going in the right direction but they're still a few years off yet.

I take your point and accept it, but I personally chose to believe the Ballybay men who I know would not make up serious stuff like that. But I was not there in person to hear it for myself.
When there is not enough supporting independent evidence, then it is a one person's word against another and that is not enough for a punishment. The punishment btw, is a mere one game ban for the offender.

Fair point as well I wasn't at the game so I can't be sure, I know the player who was at the centre of the allegation and it just seems completely against his character and personality. That as well as extremity of Magheracloone's response to the 8 week ban makes me give him the benefit of the doubt, but I suppose nobody can know for sure.

Found a report on it here: http://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/gaelic-football/magheracloone-back-in-action-as-accused-player-fights-abuse-ban-29285950.html

Anyway I don't know how a fairly simple thread got onto the topic of sectarianism but sure anyway  In the short term I think Monaghan have a better chance of an all-Ireland but Cavan have improved a lot. Doesn't mean either will actually win one any time soon.

the player